Redaction of Democratic Discourse Materials
In a bid to counteract the growing threat of authoritarianism, Metropolitan Group and partners have unveiled a new initiative called the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook. This initiative aims to build a narrative infrastructure and combat pro-authoritarian narratives across the globe.
Metropolitan Group, a collective of advocates, storytellers, artists, social scientists, strategists, and big thinkers focused on social justice and anti-racism, has conducted extensive research on pro-democracy and pro-authoritarian narratives in 12 countries across five continents, including the United States.
The research findings reveal a significant gap in the pro-democracy narrative landscape. Currently, there is no salient, broadly embraced narrative supporting democracy strongly enough to counter authoritarian or anti-democracy forces. To address this gap, the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook emphasizes the need for co-created stories that involve diverse groups directly, ensuring authenticity and agency.
The key elements of the recommended pro-democracy narratives and message frameworks include:
- Co-creation of narratives: Stories should be developed collaboratively with the groups represented in them, avoiding dominating storytellers who silence others.
- Recognition of the power of stories alongside structures: While institutions and structures influence society, narratives and shared beliefs shape those structures and can be even more powerful in creating societal change.
- Focus on connection and common humanity: Narratives stress interconnection between people and emphasize shared identity and values rather than separation by race, ethnicity, or ideology.
- Addressing the absence of a salient pro-democracy narrative: The initiative aims to build a globally resonant, emotionally compelling pro-democracy message.
The Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook provides resources such as guides, worksheets, templates, and a directory of messaging guides for framing issues for social justice impact. It also includes a message guide offering an actionable set of tools to apply the new narrative, with examples of issue-specific message frames.
A separate report, "A New Narrative to Promote Democracy in the United States," provides an in-depth analysis of dominant and salient pro-authoritarian and pro-democracy narratives in the United States, 10 recommended values, qualitative testing findings, and a preliminary U.S. narrative.
The initiative seeks to build a movement of movements beyond the democracy space and mobilize every sector that depends on democracy and the protection of democratic principles. The global assault on democratic principles and institutions is threatening progress across major social issues like healthcare, education, and racial equity.
The Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook is more than just a collection of resources; it's a call to action for individuals and organizations worldwide to join forces and build a future where democracy thrives.
- To complement the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook, resources such as guides, worksheets, and templates are provided for co-creating stories that focus on connection and common humanity, aiming to build a globally resonant pro-democracy message.
- In the realm of education and self-development, the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook offers a message guide, providing an actionable set of tools using example message frames to strengthen the pro-democracy narrative.
- Recognizing the increasing threat of authoritarianism, the Pro-Democracy Narrative Playbook aims to mobilize every sector, extending beyond the democracy space, to protect democratic principles essential for progress on major social issues like healthcare, education, and racial equity.
